The Name's Oliver - Ben Oliver. Ch. 159: Duty vs Ethics, Pt. II

[Schipperke]

I'm referring to your identity, mayhaps you are a certain doting father visiting dimension H?

Oh, I see.  So you're suggesting that I may in fact be not female, as I've always thought, but male.  Not childless as I imagined, but a parent with a YA aged son.  Who happens to be a Sim.  In fact, if I'm visiting Dimension H, I guess that would make me not a human as I think I am, but a Sim?  Perhaps the life I always thought I was living in Dimension H was but a dream, dreamed by Mr Payne (who happens to be my true identity)?

... Swirl-Girl, that's just too much for me to wrap my head around!   The scary thing is that it actually makes a kind of sense.  I think I might be going to have an identity crisis! 

[Magz from Oz]

Oh, I see.  So you're suggesting that I may in fact be not female, as I've always thought, but male.  Not childless as I imagined, but a parent with a YA aged son.  Who happens to be a Sim.  In fact, if I'm visiting Dimension H, I guess that would make me not a human as I think I am, but a Sim?  Perhaps the life I always thought I was living in Dimension H was but a dream, dreamed by Mr Payne (who happens to be my true identity)?

... Swirl-Girl, that's just too much for me to wrap my head around!   The scary thing is that it actually makes a kind of sense.  I think I might be going to have an identity crisis! 

I think you'll want to run all that past Dr Simgund.  He'll sort you out. 

[Schipperke]

I think you'll want to run all that past Dr Simgund.  He'll sort you out. 

I have him on speed-dial. 

[Blayzen]

Oh, I see.  So you're suggesting that I may in fact be not female, as I've always thought, but male.  Not childless as I imagined, but a parent with a YA aged son.  Who happens to be a Sim.  In fact, if I'm visiting Dimension H, I guess that would make me not a human as I think I am, but a Sim?  Perhaps the life I always thought I was living in Dimension H was but a dream, dreamed by Mr Payne (who happens to be my true identity)?

It's The Matrix, starring Schipperke as Neo AKA The One!! That explains everything!

As for Ben becoming Evil, I did mention that he was "Evilistible" - I don't think it's just about wanting to be a member of a club, it's about solving the mystery of who blackballed him and why they did it. My guess is that Mancini is using the club for some illegal activities and couldn't risk Ben finding out about them, so blackball.

[Swirl-Girl]

Oh, I see.  So you're suggesting that I may in fact be not female, as I've always thought, but male.  Not childless as I imagined, but a parent with a YA aged son.  Who happens to be a Sim.  In fact, if I'm visiting Dimension H, I guess that would make me not a human as I think I am, but a Sim?  Perhaps the life I always thought I was living in Dimension H was but a dream, dreamed by Mr Payne (who happens to be my true identity)?

... Swirl-Girl, that's just too much for me to wrap my head around!   The scary thing is that it actually makes a kind of sense.  I think I might be going to have an identity crisis! 

Exactly! It does make sense, you Payne-in-the-neck! And now that I have revolutionized your way of thinking, you can call me Squirt.

[Magpie2012]

I don't know whether I'm entirely convinced that Mancini IS the one who black-balled Ben... It just seems too obvious to me... Schip is usually fiendishly clever with making us think the obvious while meanwhile the least likely person is the culprit! As for using the club for nefarious goings-on? Yeah I'm pretty sure that's a given! ESCARGOT (did I spell that correctly?) seem to have their fingers in everything!

[Schipperke]

The Dromedary Club Adventure, Part VII

Diary Entry

Saturday morning the recruits and May all decided to treat themselves to a day at the spa.  They piled into May's little car and off they went, leaving me alone.  I decided to take a stroll around the town square. 

I met a couple of local criminals.





To my surprise, they were really quite friendly and pleasant.  I tried to remember why I had spent so much time tracking down criminals, but couldn't think of any good reason for it.  Really, who would want to put such charming fellows behind bars?

Then I spied a little girl sitting on the cobblestones and I knew what I wanted to do.  I scanned the vicinity, looking to see if anyone was watching. 



Satisfied that no one was paying any attention, I reached down and -



A little child had no need for such a big sucker, and it wouldn't be good for her teeth in any case.  Really, I was doing her a favour by taking the candy.  It tasted delicious, better than any candy I had ever tasted.



The child started to cry.  Did her tears bother me?  They did not.  I felt a warm glow of fiendish delight.



A woman dressed in a martial arts outfit strolled by.  She was attractive, and I spoke to her.

"What a shame that someone made that poor child cry," she said.  "Who could do such a thing to a sweet, innocent child?  I think people who mistreat children must be monsters!"



I didn't really care and proceeded to tell her about my new criminal friends.

Her eyes grew round, and she exclaimed, "Oh, I see!  You're one of those evil people who delight in the misfortunes of others!"



"It seems I was mistaken about you," she said.  "You're not at all the sort of person I want to associate with."  And she walked away.

Dusk was falling and the square was emptying as people made their way home to dinner.  I headed back to the barracks.  Just as I arrived home, my phone rang.  It was Dario DeLuca, sounding excited.  "Ben, you'll never guess!" he exclaimed.  "The Club decided to take a second vote on whether you should be admitted, and this time it was unanimous - you're in!  Be at the Club at midnight for your initiation."

[RainBeau]

Evil Ben is disturbing but still amusing to read. What will happen now that he is accepted?

[Louise56]

I hope he get reformed soon. But I'm sure all will work out for our Ben.

[ladybug53]

Oh Ben you didn't !  That was funny though .  He finally made it into the club .... I wonder what he'll find there . Time will tell .   

[Magz from Oz]

Hmmm... now that's Ben's taking such fiendish delight in being evil, will he want to change or will his friends have to throw another elixir at him?  Will Ben remember that his intentions were good when he drank that elixir?  Does he still want to befriend the Mancini's to eliminate the evil component from the club?  So may possibilities... Oh Schip, you like to put us through the ringer. 

[Swirl-Girl]

Ugh, Ben! You foolish little miscreant!
This club is not worth it! I repeat, THIS CLUB IS NOT WORTH IT!

[Schipperke]

The Dromedary Club Adventure, Part VIII

"I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse."*

Saturday, near midnight.  A long black limousine pulls up in front of Monte Vista's most exclusive private club.  Robed figures disembark and enter the building.



Diary Entry

I had been told to come precisely at midnight, no sooner and no later.  I could hear the town hall clock begin chiming the hour in the distance as I climbed the steps to the clubhouse.



All the most secret business of the club was held in a windowless room, far underground.  No non-member had ever been allowed to enter.  My instructions were to go directly to this room.  Down, down several flights of stairs I went, deep into the bowels of the earth.  The first thing I saw when I arrived at the secret room was Mayor Costanzo Rossi.  Dressed in a white robe, turban, and pointy-toed shoes (I was sure those hadn't come from A's shoe store), he sat on a throne-like chair topped with what appeared to be a roaring lion.



He greeted me formally.  "Mr Oliver, welcome.  And right on time."  He gestured me to follow him, and I found myself encircled by the other club members dressed in robes and turbans like the Mayor's except theirs were black.



Mayor Rossi asked me, "What is it you wish, Mr Oliver?"

I replied with the words I had been told to speak:  "I wish to be admitted to this Club."

Mayor Rossi next asked, "And are you willing to follow the rules and precepts of this Club in every respect?  To be a staunch and loyal Club member, willing to put the well-being of the Club before your own, should that be necessary?  Do you understand that failing to abide by the laws of this organization will result in disciplinary action by a higher power?"  He pointed upward.  I wasn't really sure what higher power he might be referring to - something people called the Watcher, perhaps?  But I agreed to do as he said.



Then he made me swear to never reveal the secret words of the ceremony.  Again I agreed, and the ceremony proceeded.  Mayor Rossi delivered exhortations, warnings, and inspiring words designed to strike the perfect balance of intimidation, awe, and commitment in the new member.



Mayor Rossi spoke, and I responded on cue as required.  Meanwhile, the club members encircling us kept up the club chant:  "Simma, summa, camel gee!  I think no Sims are as perfect as we!"



The chanting continued:  "Simma, summa, camel go!"  And they all dropped into a deep squat with their arms stretching upwards.



Finally the Mayor said, "Mr Oliver, we are pleased to welcome you to the august company of Dromedaries!"



I bowed to show my appreciation.



"And now, Mr Oliver," he said, "here are your new robes."  He directed me to the changing room.



When I emerged in my new duds, Mayor Rossi pointed a stern finger at me:  "Remember your oath!" he commanded.



He drew me over to examine a picture depicting a man surrounded by flames.



"Our founder, Sir Battiscombe Simm," he said.  "It was said that he could actually walk on fire without being burned.  Truly a legendary figure."

I was curious about a canopied stone coffin-like object in one corner of the room.



"In the early days of the Club it was used in initiations," he told me.  "But after a couple of new initiates died of fright when using it, we discontinued its use.  Now it's just part of our history," he said a bit sadly.  He might be sad that he hadn't been able to use it in my initiation, but I certainly wasn't.  The thing was creepy.  Maybe in the days when I had been brave, I might not have minded, but no way a loser like me wanted to have anything to do with a real or pretend coffin.

The other Club members congratulated me and shook my hand.



Then the meeting was over and it was time to leave.  I had done it!  My ruse had worked!  I was brilliant!  I was crafty!  I was dastardly!  ... I was evil, and loving it.



Diary Entry Ends.

* from the book Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

[RainBeau]

Oh Ben   It's terrible to see you like this.

That initiation was so cool! The clothes and poses--having tried to set up shots for stories now, I can appreciate how difficult that must have been. Hats off, Schip.

[Audren]

Hmm. A will have to go Mayor Rossi where he got those shoes. They'd be a lovely addition to the store! 

I too am impressed by the poses of the Dromedaries, and by the creativity of their director. Impersonating a Celebrity as an initiation pose? Brilliant!